What is being lost when we spend time looking at screens? We end up spending our time and energy interacting with an artificial device instead of another human being - another life. Life's greatest joys come from our direct social interactions. We smile, laugh and cry together. We find peace and serenity through intimacy by holding, cuddling, and kissing. We feel our hearts connect when we make eye contact. We make love and thus, more life. We share meals around a table. We comfort each other by being present through difficult times. We heal each other when we are sick.

It is hard to imagine that their has ever been a time in human history where our collective behavior has changes so rapidly. From the time 'smart' phones were brought to market, we began to be consumed by them. We rationalized that our phones indeed make us 'smarter' and 'more efficient.' Given how new these products are, it makes sense that we have not yet found a way to balance how we use them such that they are truly to our overall benefit as individuals and as a human family.

Thankfully, our experiences and researchers are helping us to see more clearly that in many ways our use of mobile technology is draining our spirits - leading us to be exhausted and lonely. For example, teenagers today spend more time interacting with screens than on anything else and this is concerning when one considers the value of direct human interaction. The negative consequences include reduced social skill, playfulness, empathy and the list goes on.

Please find below five articles which help us see more clearly the consequences of our behaviors as they relate to the use of mobile technology. Perhaps, we can begin to find our balance again and realize that the price for our consumption of screen time is life itself.